Life Under the Full Moon
by luvuni
Summary: This story is kind of AU. We look at a Hogwarts when the Marauders were young, and Nymphadora Tonks was a year behind them. Tonks was bullied by the Marauders for years, until they all find out that the boys' hatred for her was orchestrated by someone else. Meanwhile, Remus and Tonks are growing closer. Will romance blossom? Will they find out who wants Tonks dead? Bad at Summaries
1. An Interesting Letter

It was a joyful day at King's Cross Station that early September morning. Witches and Wizards from all over England gathered to send their children off on the Hogwarts' Express to go to school. Owls were hooting from within their cages, attendants were loading up the trunks full of text books and robes, and students climbed onto the train with gleeful expressions. Many waved to their parents before they disappeared into the train to find a compartment to their liking. Needless to say, all was well at Platform 9 and ¾ that lovely day.

A young fourteen year old Metamorphmagus witch named Nymphadora Tonks was pulling her heavy trunk towards the train. This young witch was all alone; both of her parents had died when she was six in during their Auror duties. Pulling her trunk and holding onto her owl cage which carried her black owl Leon, she stumbled up to the massive train. An attendant helped her load her belongings onto the train while she walked onto the impressive structure. Being a very clumsy girl, she tripped on the end of her robes and fell to the floor. Cussing softly, Tonks stood up and walked into an empty compartment where she sat by the window.

Jealously flared in her as she watched some of the students wave good-bye to their parents. Looking out her window, she winced as she watched the fifth year Gryffindors board the train. Among them were the four Marauders; Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin. The first three of the four always bullied and made fun of her, while Remus often just watched from the side lines with conflicted expressions. Tonks couldn't lie to herself; she knew that she held a soft spot for Remus. He was never mean to her… or friendly. The three of the four Marauders bullied her because she knew their identities. After accidentally happening upon one of their meetings in her second year, she learnt quickly that the four boys were the legendary Marauders. The only problem was that they found out that she knew, and they made her life a living hell. Tonks had never had friends before, since she was a shape-shifter and an outcast, so no one was there to stand up for her when the Marauders bullied her. She was thankful that they never physically harmed her; they just hexed her or tormented her in the hallways or during class.

Sitting by herself, Tonks nearly jumped out of her skin when the door to her compartment opened. Looking up, a groan escaped her as she saw the faces of Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus. The first three looked at her with grim expressions. "What are you doing here?" she snapped, clutching her owl cage tightly.

"Everywhere else is full Nymphie. Don't pretend you're not happy to see us," Sirius said with an evil grin as he sat across from Tonks. The other boys sat next to him, leaving Tonks alone on her end of the compartment.

"Would you stop calling me that, you git? I'd sooner sit with a dragon than you lot." Tonks hissed savagely. Sirius' face dropped into a scowl, as well as James', and Peter's. Remus stared out the window with a stoic expression.

James' wand was suddenly in her face, causing her to jerk back and hit her head on the wall behind her. "Don't call him a git, shape-shifter. A dark creature like you has no right to insult a pureblood like Sirius. I bet that's not even your real face! Why do you keep it so ugly Nymphie? If you can morph yourself, why don't you make yourself actually look pretty if you're going to hide your real features?"

Tears stung the back of Tonks' eyes. They had never insulted her like this before, so why was James doing it now? Did they get bored with their usual jokes and cruelty? "James," said Remus, who was looking at James with a slightly scared expression.

"You're not a dark creature, Moony. You have only been cursed, whereas this thing here choses to use her forms for dark intentions," James said, snapping the last part viciously. Tonks knew that Remus was a werewolf from where she'd heard their meeting during second year.

Fuming, Tonks stood up swiftly, accidentally rattling Leon's cage. "I've never, ever, used my powers for dark intentions!" she snapped, her pink hair turning red in anger. "How dare you say that I would? Why would I? If I were to use my skills for anything, it would be to change my appearance so that I could hide from prats like you, but I don't do that because you don't deserve that satisfaction of knowing that you make me hate myself!" _Damn, I said too much! _She sat back down as she watched their faces carefully. Remus looked pained, but Tonks paid him no mind. James had lowered his wand and sat back across from her, anger in every feature.

"Lies!" Peter said, glaring viciously at Tonks as he reached for his wand. "You've threatened revealing our identity countless times, but the way you did it this summer… and now you're telling us that you don't use your abilities for dark purposes?!

Tonks mouth gaped open. "I. Have. Never. Threatened. You."

A slightly confused look crossed the four guys' faces. James grew angry again. "Would you stop lying to us?! We know it was you! It was always by notes, but then you show up under a different appearance and threaten us! You're a dark witch who should be in Slytherin, not Hufflepuff."

Angry tears slipped over her cheeks. "I've never threatened you, and I have never spoken to you guys under a different appearance. May I see one of these notes?"

The boys looked apprehensive, but James pulled open his bag and handed her a piece of parchment. The writing on it was a messy scrawl, nothing like her neat handwriting. She read it carefully.

_Foolish Marauders,_

_I've been feeling the need to spill the secret that I've happened upon, but deciding when and how is the only thing I'm still trying to figure out. _

_Nymphadora Tonks._

It was dated August 15th this year. She looked up at the four boys. "This isn't my writing," she said simply as she reached into her bag and pulled out her note book for writing. Reaching across, she handed it to Sirius who opened it. His eyes grew wide as he showed it to his friends. "I don't know who's been threatening you, but I haven't been. I've also never told anybody that I knew you were the Marauders."

The four boys looked up at her with slightly apologetic, but still skeptical, expressions. "Honestly?" Peter asked, watching her carefully.

Looking him in the eyes she said "I'd never tell anyone. Despite the fact that you guys have pushed me around for years, I have no intention of telling a secret that isn't mine to tell. If you guys had bothered to talk to me about the notes, instead of bullying me, than you would have known that it wasn't me threatening you." Tonks stood up; owl cage in her arms with her bag slung over her shoulder, and left the compartment.

The rest of the train ride she spent in the girl's loo, not wanting to go back to the compartment with the Gryffindors or go to a different one. Nobody would appreciate her coming to sit with them, so she made life easier for everybody by staying in the lavatory. Sitting on the counter top, she Tonks stroked her owl absentmindedly as she thought about how different life at Hogwarts will be without being bullied by the Marauders. _Perhaps they'll still pick on me anyways…_


	2. Holy Staircase

As the train pulled up in front of Hogwarts, Tonks got changed into her robes while everyone got off of the train. She didn't wish to have a run in with any of the students who picked on her, so she waited until everyone was off of the train before she too got off. Walking over to the carriages, she found an empty one and climbed in, admiring the beautiful thestral that pulled it. As the carriage set off, she opened Leon's cage and allowed him to fly off to the owlery, since she'd have to leave all of her luggage for the attendants to take.

Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice when the carriage arrived in front of Hogwarts. Apologizing to the awaiting attendant, Tonks jumped off and headed inside after making sure her wand was tucked into her robes. As always, the grand hall did nothing but inspire awe within her as she gazed up at the magnificent ceiling. Purposely, she avoided looking towards the Gryffindor table as she sat down at the end of the Hufflepuff table. Gazing ahead, she zoned out as Dumbledore went up to the front of the room and began speaking. She only started paying attention when the Sorting Hat sang its new song.

__

Once Upon A Time,  
There were four wizards greatly known,  
The creators of the houses you call your own,  
They sat upon the Hogwarts throne.  
Godric Gryffindor, the brave and bold,  
Rowena Ravenclaw, brilliant and aware,  
Salazar Slytherin, ambitious and cold,  
Helga Hufflepuff, loyal and fair.  
Today is a significant day,  
In your journey of education.  
Decisions I will have to weigh,  
Debating on your foundation.  
For it is up to me to determine,  
Where your loyalties and talents lay,  
Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin,  
From whom you'll never sway.  
Now sit me upon your head,  
Let me look at your personality,  
So I can go ahead,.  
And see your individuality.  
Never have I been wrong before,  
A fact I say with pride,  
Let me look into your core,  
Allow me to see inside.  
Your rightful house I shall find.

(**AN: I stink at poetry and rhyming, so that was the best sorting hat song you're going to get. No hating on it please.)**

Everyone burst into applause at the Sorting Hat's song. Tonks joined in and gave a small smile as she watched the hat take a bow. Watching the sorting with little interest, Tonks let her eyes wander and found to her embarrassment that the Marauders were staring at her. Looking away quickly, she averted her eyes back to the sorting in time to see the final student, a young boy named Riley Grey, get sorted into Ravenclaw. Dumbledore walked back up to the podium. "Well, I won't keep you're hungry stomachs any longer! Tuck in."

A ginormous array of food appeared on all of the tables and grins on the students' faces. Looking at the food, Tonks took a few meager proportions and ate them slowly. She lived on her own, unknown to the staff of Hogwarts, and hardly had enough food to live off of. Under her robes, she was extremely thin and was hoping to put on a bit more weight during the school year. Eating until she was full, Tonks let her thoughts wander to her parents. Even though it had been many years since their deaths, it was still a depressing subject for her. _Mom, dad… I miss you so much; your love, your guidance, the company. _Not wanting to continue on these sad thoughts, Tonks decided to head up to bed.

Standing up without falling, Tonks walked towards the Hufflepuff common room at a slow pace; taking in the castle she had missed so much. The portraits all smiled at her and said hello, to which she answered with a kind "Wotcher!" A few ghosts were present in the hallways, but they paid her no mind as they continued on their way. Naturally, on her way up the staircase to her common room, one of the disappearing stairs ended up vanishing as she stepped on it. Falling into it, she gripped the banister firmly to keep herself from going through the opening and to the floor tens of feet below. _Damn it!_

Trying to life herself up, she found that her body was too frail to heave herself out of the opening. Gripping the banister firmly, her arms grew tired from the effort of holding herself up. Wondering if she should call for help, her thoughts were halted as she heard footsteps racing up the stairs behind her. "Hey, you ok?" A familiar male voice shouted up to her. Cringing inwardly, she realized it was James Potter.

"Just peachy," she answered, gripping the banister fully. Two sets of hands were suddenly gripping her wrists and she looked up to see Sirius and Remus holding her firmly while James and Peter watched from behind. Fearing they were going to let her go on purpose, she shrieked "Don't!"

They all looked at her oddly. "Why don't you want us to help you out?" Peter asked, genuinely confused.

"You're actually going to help me? I figured you guys were just trying to speed up my falling to the bottom," she said as Sirius and Remus tightened their grips. Heaving once, not realizing just how light she was, Tonks flew up and landed straight on top of Remus. A deep blush spread along her cheeks as she crawled off of Remus and dusted herself off while the shaken boy stood up. "Thank you."

"We wouldn't have let you fall, you know," James said as he handed Tonks her wand that she dropped. "We'd all like to apologize for how we've treated you. All of us thought that you were actually threatening us."

Blushing deeper, Tonks shrugged. "'s ok. I'm used to being pushed around, and it only makes me stronger. I accept your apology though. See you guys around." Turning quickly, she darted back up the stairs, leaving the stunned boys.

"Did you notice how light she was, Moony?" Sirius asked with a slight look of concern.

Remus nodded once. "She's too thin for her age and height. I figured she'd be twice what she actually is." The four boys walked back to their common room lost in thought about a certain pink haired teen.


	3. And So It Begins

The sun shone through the windows of the fourth year Hufflepuffs, filling the room with light. As always, Tonks woke up at the break of dawn and stretched dramatically as she had a big yawn. Looking over she saw that her two roommates, Elodie Fitzpatrick and Laurel Fitzpatrick (twins), were still sound asleep. Yesterday's events hit Tonks full force as she stood up from her bed. _Should I really trust them not to bully me anymore? Perhaps they will continue, and they had just been looking for an excuse to pick on me…_ Shrugging to herself, she grabbed a clean set of robes and went to the showers to get washed up.

One thing that Tonks love about Hogwarts was the showers. At her tiny little flat that she rented (by working over the summers) her shower was tiny and only had cold and lukewarm water. Whereas at Hogwarts, the showers were spacious and had hot water that soothed her aching muscles from spending the entire summer doing chores. She worked at the Inn where she lived as a maid of sorts. Her duties included cleaning the rooms, laundering the sheets, making the beds, and dealing with the clients. The manager was a rich man named Tiberius Powers and he often enjoyed toying with Tonks' emotions. Often he'd give her the heavier jobs, but she never complained because it was the only place she had to live in.

When Tonks was satisfied that she was clean and smelt purely of green apples, she dried off with a wave of her wand and pulled on her robes. Ready to get the day started, she slipped her wand into one of the pockets in her robe and went down to the grand hall for breakfast. The hall was rather empty, with only a few dozen students up and ready for the day. A few girls sat at the Hufflepuff table, but Tonks knew to sit far away for them to not provoke trouble. Grabbing a slice of toast, she nibbled it gingerly as she looked down at the schedule her house prefect placed in front of her.

All of her courses included Transfiguration, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense against the Dark Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, and Ancient Runes. Wincing, she couldn't help but think: _I've got one full semester this year…_ Finishing off her breakfast, she groaned as she saw that today her first class was Potions with the Gryffindors, meaning that the Marauders would no doubt be there. As she looked at her schedule in more depth, she saw that she would be sharing all classes with the Gryffindors except for Herbology and Transfiguration. _I think whoever made my schedule is out to get me. This is ridiculous; I've never been with the Gryffindors this much before!_

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. In walked the four Marauders, Sirius and James in the lead with Remus and Peter tailing behind. Tonks averted her eyes as soon as she saw them and pushed her food away from her, her appetite disappearing quickly. From her peripheral vision, she saw the four boys start to walk towards her table so she quickly stood up and departed from the grand hall. Practically running, Tonks wormed her way through the now awake student body and darted up to her common room.

Only when she was safely inside her dorm room did Tonks relax and flop down on her bed. "Why am I acting so silly?" she asked to the empty room.

_It's because they bullied you for two years and you're too insecure to think that they're done tormenting you, and because you've got a crush on Remus._

"Do not!" Tonks snapped at herself.

_Oh you totally do. You can't deny it. You're head over heels in love with him and you know it!_

"Shut up!" Tonks said, silencing her mind. Every once in a while when she was conflicted, Tonks would have these speaking-thinking arguments with herself to help her sort out her feelings, but right now it was only making it worse. Reaching into her trunk, she grabbed the books she'd need for the morning and went to Potions class with an unhappy expression.

Many people looked at her like she was nothing but vermin as she walked through the halls, but Tonks was so used to it that she hardly noticed. Holding her head high, she clutched her books tightly as she walked into Potions. A seat in the corner was the one she chose, hoping to remain unnoticeable so that the other students wouldn't pick on her. The room was empty besides Professor Slughorn, who stood at the front of the class flipping through an old text book, unaware that she had entered. A few students filled in and picked their seats, far from hers, so she was shocked when a figure plopped down next to her, and another beside them. Looking up, she had to try really hard to keep the groan that threatened to escape her lips. Beside her were James and Sirius who looked at her with soft expressions.

"Hello Tonks," Sirius said with a genuine smile.

James smiled too. "Hey Tonks, I hope you don't mind us sitting here." It didn't sound like a threat, so Tonks attempted a weak smile in return.

"Wotcher Potter, Black," she said with a nod of her head, noticing that Remus and Peter sat just in front of them and turned to look at them, so she added: "Lupin, Pettigrew."

The four of them looked at her funny. "Just call us by our first names or our Marauder names," James whispered to her so that only the five of them could hear. "But we'll call you Tonks since you don't seem to like the name Nymphadora."

"You wouldn't either if your mother named you such a retched name," Tonks said with a bit of venom. How she _loathed _her first name. The boys seem slightly taken back but smiled nonetheless. The class was suddenly silenced by Professor Slughorn, signaling that class was starting.

**AN: TONKS IS ONE YEAR AHEAD AND IS TAKING FIFTH YEAR COURSES, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW! ;)**


	4. Quickly Becoming Friends

Anger flared in Tonks and her hair turned bright red. "I can't believe you four! Do you honestly think I'd want to be friends with you after you tormented me for two years? I don't want your pity induced friendship! I've always been on my own, and I don't want friends if they only want to be near me because they feel sorry for me. After you guys started bullying me, I became an even bigger outcast! You guys marked me and then I was bullied by almost the entire student body. Now you come and think that we can be friends right off the bat? No way. Friendship is earned, not given."

Turning on the spot, stumbling once, Tonks marched off to Care of Magical Creatures, leaving the four boys feeling dumbstruck and a guilty. She avoided them for the rest of the day, sitting as far away from them as physically possible in their shared classes. It wasn't until after dinner that the Marauders managed to corner the young girl in the library.

Tonks was extremely surprised when James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter sat down at the table where she was doing further research on Animagus. As she was about to stand up, Remus grabbed her sleeve to stop her. "Please," he murmured, looking at her intensely. A blush crept along Tonks' cheeks but she morphed to hide it. "Just hear us out."

Sitting back down apprehensively, Tonks looked at the four boys expectantly and waited for someone to start. It turned out to be Sirius. "Nym- Tonks. We don't want to be your friends just purely because we feel sorry for you. That is not the reason behind our choice. You deserve friends, better friends than us, but we kind of like you. All of us think you'd fit in, and we want you to join us; to think of yourself as a fifth Marauder. None of us are with you because we pity you, but because we want to be your friends."

Sirius' speech hit Tonks right in the heart. Quirking an eyebrow and hiding her smile she whispered "Why the sudden change?"

This time, Remus answered. Tonks looked at him and got captivated in his grey eyes as he spoke to her softly. "Well, we liked you before the incidents and thought it'd be nice to hang out with you. I mean, you're an amazing witch and we wanted to get to know you. However, the letters changed that around for us. Knowing that you didn't send them allows us to relieve the admiration of you."

Blushing, Tonks didn't attempt to cover it at his words. "Why though? I'm nothing special." Confusion laced her words as she looked at him.

Peter answered, causing her to pull her eyes away from Remus. "You're a metamorphmagus, which had gotten our attention immediately. However, we then learnt that you are a kind person and a sly one at that; a perfect member for our group."

"You guys really mean all this?" she asked, looking pointedly at the four of them.

"Very much so," James said with a grin as he held out his hand. "Would you like to join the Marauders?"

Looking at his hand, Tonks thought about it for a moment before sliding her hand into his. "Yes, I do."

"Welcome to the club!" James said with a wink as he let go of her hand. It felt like some sort of secret pact had just been made, binding her future to these four boys. She gave a radiant grin as a thought occurred to her. _I have friends…wow._

Peter gave a sly grin. "We'll have to give her an official Marauder name."

Sirius smirked. "It'll have to be something to do with her metamorphmagus abilities…"

Tonks shook her head. "I've actually got a little secret of my own, that I suppose I can tell you now since we're alone." Standing up, she stepped into the shadows behind a book shelf and allowed the transformation to happen. A few months ago, Tonks had wanted to see if metamorphamagi could become Animagi. It turns out, they could.

Stepping out of the shadows, she watched as the four boys' jaws dropped.

**AN: Sorry, this chapter was really short. I also want to inform you that Tonks' feelings for Remus have been developing over a long period of time, so she does actually love him.**


	5. The Start of Our Adventures

Tonks stepped out of the shadows and gave an attempt at a grin as she saw their faces. Standing taller than all of them in her Animagus form, she chuckled in her head at their expressions. Her form was a Clydesdale, a giant friendly horse with magnificent feathers around her hooves. Swishing her tail, she let out a soft whinny in amusement while the guys gawked at her beautiful form. Pawing the ground gently to show off her feathers, she turned back into her human self, grinning like a mad-man.

"Y-you're an Animagus!" Sirius choked out as he ran a hand through his dark hair. Tonks nodded in response.

"How long?" Remus asked next, looking interested.

"I successfully did my first transformation five months ago," she said with a grin as she crossed her arm and leaned against a book case.

"I know exactly what we should call you," Remus said as he looked Tonks in the eyes. "Whinny."

Tonks mulled the name over in her head a bit and smirked. "I like it; it fits." All of them grinned. "I'm positively starving! Let's head down for dinner."

The five of them went down to the dining hall and parted ways as Tonks went to sit at the Hufflepuff table while the guys went to go sit at the Gryffindor table. Putting her head in her hands, she couldn't keep the goofy grin off her face as she rejoiced inwardly at the fact that she had friends. Eating more than she had in a long time, she had to fight the smile throughout the entire meal. When she finished, she decided to head on up to bed because she was so tired. Yawning, Tonks ignored the weird looks people sent her way and headed up to her dorm room where she fell into a peaceful sleep.

x.x.x.x.x

The following days went by swiftly. Tonks spent her class time sitting with the Marauders, or by herself in the classes she didn't share with Gryffindors, and sat with them during the meal times. It was after dinner one day that the Marauders asked her to meet them in the library after she stopped at her common room to drop off her books. When she was on her way to the library, a hand shot out from around the corner, grabbed her, and threw her into an empty classroom. As she hit the ground hard in the classroom, she could hear the door being slammed and locked. Her gaze shifted upwards and fear embedded itself deep in within her.

Ahead of her stood several students; Mallory Wylds, a Slytherin 5th year, Lucy Gilles, a 5th year Ravenclaw, and Caine Field, a 6th year Slytherin. The three of them grinned sadistically at Tonks, while the shaking Hufflepuff stood up with her wand in hand. "_Expelliarmus_!" shouted Mallory as Tonks' wand flew from her hand and into the awaiting Slytherins'.

Standing up straight, Tonks tried to keep her voice firm as she asked "Why did you shove me in here?"

The three grinning students chuckled at the frightened girl. "You're a vile shape-shifter who shouldn't be here. This school is for wizards and witches, not dark creatures like yourself," said Lucy with venom.

"The Marauders didn't do enough damage to you when we sent them those letters. We were hoping they'd kill you and get themselves expelled, but they didn't. Now, you're actually friends with those gits. We'll have to finish the job ourselves then," Caine said wickedly as he pointed his wand at Tonks' face. She couldn't croak out any words, she just backed up into the wall at the approaching figures.

"_Crucio!_" Tonks didn't even know who cast the curse, she just knew it was one of the girls. It struck her quickly and filled her entire body with white-hot pain. Throwing her head back, she let out a blood-curdling scream as she collapsed to the ground. A million daggers seemed to be plunged into her body, clouding her mind from the pain. Never in her life had she experienced pain like this. Twitching on the ground, giving futile attempts to move out of the curses'range, Tonks screamed in agony. For minutes the curse dragged on until the castor decided she had had enough.

The pain ended, and Tonks gulped in air as she shook viciously on the floor. Gathering what little strength she had left, she screamed at the top of her lungs: "REMUS! SIRIUS! JAMES! PETER! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Laughter sounded from above Tonks and she looked up into the faces of her torturers. "No one's going to come help you Nymphie. They'll be so happy when you're gone and out of their lives. _Sectumsempra!_" said Caine with malice.

Pain struck again as deep gashes appeared on her torso, legs, and arms. Letting out a few whimpers of pain, she curled into a ball as the three laughed at her. Suddenly, their laughter was cut off by the door slamming open and hitting the wall. Weakly, she glanced up to see the four Marauders looking vicious. Even gentle Remus looked murderous as they took in the sight of her, shaking in a growing pool of her own blood. Behind them was Albus Dumbledore who looked positively angry. McGonagall appeared beside him and Tonks saw with shock that a few tears fell down the woman's cheeks. "TONKS!" the Marauders choked out as they turned their wands on the three attackers.

"Wands down boys," Dumbledore said as he looked at Mallory, Caine, and Lucy. "You three, head up to my office with Professor Slughorn. I will be up in a while to discuss this with you." The three hung their heads and followed Professor Slughorn who appeared behind the two Professors. Dumbledore approached Tonks and knelt beside her while McGonagall held back the four boys. "Let's get this healed up."

Raising his wand, Tonks squeezed her eyes shut as Dumbledore muttered a healing spell which reversed the effects of the sectumsempra curse. When she was healed, Dumbledore helped the shaking girl into a sitting position. "Professor Dumbledore, we need to get her to the hospital wing immediately," said McGonagall. "Can one of you four carry her?"

If Tonks wasn't so tired and achy, a blush would have crept along her cheeks. Remus volunteered and scooped her up carefully before following McGonagall to the hospital wing. With her head against Remus' shoulder, Tonks went unconscious.

**AN: Sorry, I know things are moving really quickly, but that's just how I write. Thanks to those who are following this story and are loving it. :)**


	6. Cousin Conversations

The sound of someone hustling around woke Tonks two days after the attack. Opening her heavy eyelids, she was met with the sight of Madame Pomfrey fussing to get blankets over a few figures in chairs beside her bed. Looking closely in the dim light, she saw that the figures were Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter. They were all fast asleep. As memory of the attack came back, she smiled slightly that the four guys were here with her.

"Oh, you're finally up my dear," said Madame Pomfrey. She held a potion out to Tonks. "Take this; it will give you back some of your strength."

Lifting her arm, Tonks winced at a spark of pain. She took the potion and downed it in one gulp, groaning at the disgusting taste. The taste was something similar to rotten fruit with a hint of something herby. Her gaze drifted down to her arms and tears pricked her eyes as she looked at the two scars that lined each of her arms. They were about five inches each in length and were a bright red from being so fresh. Tonks didn't have to look to know that there were more scars on her torso and legs. _At least the robes will hide them…_

"They'll fade to a light pale color in a few days," whispered Madame Pomfrey as she took the empty potion bottle from Tonks. The older woman turned to look at the sleeping four boys. "They haven't left your bedside since you arrived. It was only a few hours ago that they finally fell asleep." Looking closely, Tonks could see the faint dark circles under the boys' eyes. Her heart jumped in her chest.

"I'm so lucky to have them," Tonks whispered, not intending for the nurse to hear.

"Yes, you are," Madame Pomfrey murmured before going off to her corner to do something. Tonks studied the four boy who slept soundly beside her. _I don't know what I did to deserve these four's friendship. If I'd been told last year that I would become friends with my bullies, I'd have said that was crazy. But now… I don't think I can imagine spending life at Hogwarts without them, especially Remus. _Looking at Remus, she could openly stare at him without anyone noticing.

Tonks adored his grey eyes, although she didn't like how they were always sad. She knew he despised his lycanthropy, but she didn't mind it. The scars that lined his face just added to his handsomeness in Tonks' eyes. They gave him a more rugged appearance, and she loved each and every one of them. His chestnut hair had a tendency to fall into his eyes, and she yearned to reach out and brush it aside. Keeping her hand from fixing it was a hard thing to do.

The sun began to set along the horizon, and Tonks watched it for a long time as it disappeared and the stars became visible. When Madame Pomfrey went to bed, Tonks got up and walked over to sit by the window so she could gaze at the stars. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she turned to see Sirius sitting next to her. "Beautiful, aren't they?" she asked, looking out at the star-filled sky.

"Very," Sirius said, although his voice sounded distant. Tonks turned to look at him and was shocked to see a conflicted expression on his face. "I… I've got to ask you something."

"What is it?" she asked, turning so that she was completely facing him. Never before had she seen Sirius look nervous and speechless.

He ran a hand through his hair and avoided her gaze. "Are you Andromeda Tonks' daughter?"

Shocked, Tonks gaped at him. _Why the curiosity? _"Yes. Why are you asking?"

"That means were cousins!" he said, completely stunned as he looked at Tonks as if seeing her for the first time.

She let out a soft laugh. "You didn't know that Sirius? I thought you knew."

"If I had known that you were the daughter of one of the only family members I actually like, I would have never…" he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Sympathy flared in Tonks, surprising her. Attentively, she reached out and placed her hand on his. "It's all in the past Sirius. Only look forward now." He grinned at her, and that grin only grew wider as she let out a big yawn.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, looking at her face closely, as if expecting to see signs of pain or sadness. "I can't believe they subjected you to the cruciatus curse, and sectumsempra. It makes me sick just thinking about what would have happened had we not looked at the map."

"What map?" she asked curiously, ignoring his question.

Sirius reached into his robes and produced a large blank sheet of parchment. Using his wand, he tapped the top of it and said "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Tonks gasped as the blank page suddenly became a map of Hogwarts. Dotting around the map were little circles that had names beside them, a few of them moving across the halls. Sirius grinned at her expression. "This map, the Marauder map, was made by us. It shows us all of the passageways of Hogwarts and all of the people in it. When you didn't show up on time, we looked at the map and saw that you were in a classroom with Caine, Lucy, and Mallory. We knew something was wrong and called for Dumbledore and McGonagall before coming to get you."

"Thanks for doing that for me. I was worried that they were going to kill me." A shiver ran through Tonks as she thought about how close she'd been to death. If it hadn't been for Sirius and the others… She shuddered from just thinking about it.

Sirius' hand squeezed hers softly. "We won't allow for them, or anyone else, to harm you again. So don't worry about it." She nodded her thanks and let out another big yawn. "Time for you to go back to bed," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet; frowning inwardly at how light she was. Tonks climbed back into the bed and watched as Sirius sat back down in his chair.

"Night Whinny."

"Good-night Padfoot," she murmured before she fell into a fitful sleep.


End file.
